Deeper
by Erisella
Summary: How do you extract from someone in a coma? How do you navigate the unstable dreamscape of a person who is a permanent dreamer? The team can't fully comprehend the type of danger they are in for on their new job.
1. Chapter 1

**Deeper**

**Summary:** How do you extract from someone in a coma? How do you navigate the unstable dreamscape of a person who is a permanent dreamer? The team can't fully comprehend the type of danger they are in for on their new job.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**Note:** I don't own Inception.

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**Chapter One:**

The ocean was singing. Waves crashed on the shore and the sound of the water as it splashed and made its way back into the sea was incredibly melodic. The sound of his children laughing and playing the sand made it all the better. It made the sun shine brighter and the ocean bluer.

Cobb stood by, watching his daughter and son running in the sand, playing a game of tag, and shrieking in delight. It had been so hard to picture the scene in front of him almost half a year ago, but the reality was finally sinking in. He had his kids again and nothing else seemed to matter. Nothing but their smiling faces, their grasping hands and their honest words.

Sometimes he would still think about the dreamscape and the things he could do in them. The way he used to build, before the fallout with Mal and the night that sent him fleeing from the country. He still thought about the team, every single one of them, and wondered how they were doing. He hadn't contacted them since he got home, mostly from lack of trying. But recently, he found himself wondering more and more when the next job would show up, when something would jolt him out of his state of semi-retirement.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Phillipa called, running to him with her arms extended.

With a smile, he ran down the span of beach to his children, scooping them both up in one motion and swinging them around. They laughed and laughed, clinging to each other as the waves crashed against the shore and the sun shone down on them.

…~~~~…~~~~…

"Now, pay attention to the structure of this building. You'll see that though the design is quite modern, there are many elements that-"

Ariadne tapped her pencil against her desk, unable to write any notes or even pay attention to what her instructor was saying. All she could do was envision what she could do with the structure she was being shown. She thought of the possibilities and her mind filled with images, each one breaking down what existed, fracturing it and then completely building it up again. The building, in her mind, became a new form of itself, familiar, yet completely new.

She didn't want to admit it, but now that inception was over, she found herself thinking more and more about dreams and the way she was able to navigate through them. Her reality was no longer as exciting as it used to be. She knew she would never be able to stop thinking about the dreamscape after the first time she figured out how to design in a dream, but she didn't think it would consume her. She never expected to be constantly on the look out for someone familiar, for someone to call her back for one more job.

Yet, she kept going with her life, kept going to classes and kept up with what little social life she had left. Despite her longing, things were going well with her. She got good grades and was content, but she didn't know if she was alright with just being content.

…~~~~…~~~~…

He didn't know what he was going to do with himself. He had found himself in a secluded tropical corner of the world where the alcohol flowed like water and the company was good. And when he thought of company, he didn't mean friends or acquaintances.

It wasn't any surprise to Eames that he ended up in a smoky bar, downing shots of tequila and smoking cigarette after cigarette. If he could have had it his way, he would live like that forever. But there was no fun in living the leisurely life and knew he would tire of it quickly. His mind would soon wander to the next con, the next heist, the next job.

Inception had given him one of the biggest rushes he had ever felt. The adrenaline pumped through him for days after it was over. The feeling of the accomplishment had been so great he nearly gave away his true occupation the first night he was in his tropical paradise. He had never been one for talking about his profession, but for once, he would have loved to have kept in contact with someone on the team, just so he could relive those moments where he felt as if he were going all in on a bad hand only to have it all turn around and pay off.

"Hello, stranger," a busty, tan, brunette with shapely, slender legs approached him. "Buy me a drink?"

Eames smirked, cocky and confident. "For you, love, I'd buy more than just a drink."

The woman laughed before taking a seat next to him, waiting expectantly. He gestured to the bartender for more to drink before he got comfortable. It was going to be a good night.

…~~~~…~~~~…

Arthur sat in his kitchen, looking over a copy of the morning newspaper. A cup of coffee sat on the table, still steaming. He had been laying low and it was working out well, for the most part. He liked to think he was fine with living a normal life like everyone else. He liked to think that he was fine with having friends who knew nothing of what he did. He liked to think that he was fine with trying to create a life he imagined he would have had if he wasn't in the business. However, no matter how hard he tried, he knew it was all just a façade and the lie wasn't going to stick.

He knew, beyond all else, that nothing would ever compare to the control and freedom that he found in the dreams he shared with those he worked with. It was something that no real life experience or even a normal dream could replace. He knew that no friend of his, all of them so oblivious and unassuming, would compare to Cobb, so sharp witted and exceedingly good at what he does. And yet, he stayed out of touch, never even reaching for his phone when he knew there was a job out there suitable for the two of them. He knew the boundaries of those around him, almost too well.

Now that Cobb was home and safe, Arthur knew it would be a good long time before he started looking for something on his own. He had been the extractor's partner for so long that working with someone different just didn't feel right. He knew, without a doubt, that unless Cobb agreed to it, he wouldn't be taking any jobs for a good long while. But Arthur had a feeling that something was coming, something that would eventually bring them all together once more.

He could only hope that it wouldn't be anywhere as crazy as their last job.

…~~~~…~~~~…

Cobb groaned when he heard the phone ringing in the darkness of his room. His hand fumbled for the lamp on the bedside table. He flicked the switch and the light came on with a blinding glare. Blinking in the brightness, he grabbed his phone, squinting to read the number. It was a foreign number.

Clearing his throat, he answered it, "Hello?"

"What would you say to another job, Mr. Cobb?" the familiar, accented voice on the other end of the line asked.

"Saito?" Cobb asked, running a hand over his face as he pushed himself up.

"My friend, you are as perceptive as ever," Saito said, sounding amused. "I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time."

"It's the middle of the night. I hope there's a good reason for this call."

"You have not changed," the man on the other end said, his voice clearer and punctuated with professionalism, "I have a proposition for you. Perhaps you would consider it."

"What kind of proposition? I'm not going to perform anything like inception ever again."

"Nothing of the sort, though you may find this one to be a challenge."

Cobb sat up and leaned his elbows on his knees, "I'm listening."

"A dear friend of mine needs to extract some information from her twin sister regarding a crime. It sounds simple enough but, her sister has been in a coma for the past two years."

The extractor had to take a moment to make sure he was hearing correctly, "Did you just say that the sister is in a coma?"

"Yes."

"That's not just a challenge, Saito. No one knows what goes on in a coma patient's mind. It'll be too unstable."

"And that is why I called you."

Cobb thought about it for a moment, trying to think up excuses for why he wouldn't want to do the job, even though a part of him desperately wanted to get back into dream sharing, "You'll be taking me away from my children."

"I assure you, it will all be taken care of. You can bring them here with you and I will have my servants watch after them when you work. I will be glad to make arrangements," the Japanese business man explained, "For what I will pay you and your team, you know it will be worth your while."

_Of course he'd be prepared for that,_ the extractor thought as he rubbed his eyes with one hand. He didn't know how he could say no to an offer like that. Giving up his share to Yusuf had set him back. His bank account was depleting from being out of work for so many months, the money really would be worth his while. But the idea of entering an unknown dreamscape was causing him to be hesitant.

"What if we can't get the information they need?" Cobb asked, "Then what?"

"I assure you, there are no dire consequences to this job. My friend has made it clear that this is only a personal matter. No harm will come to you or your team if you cannot get what she needs. Furthermore, you will still be paid for your time."

Cobb thought for a long moment. He knew he had stayed silent too long when Saito cleared his throat on the other line. The extractor sighed and nodded to himself before speaking, "You better start making some calls and arranging flights."

…~~~~…~~~~…

**Note: **I don't know how this story came about, but this story is a bit of an experiment. I wanted to write something that was detailed and well thought out. The chapters may come slow, but after this, they should be pretty long. I'm pretty much setting myself a length goal with each chapter.

Hope what you like what you read so far. Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: **And this is when the updating will get complicated. I'm working on this and Still Alive at the same time. However, the former is giving me a lot of issues and I feel the need to write even though I'm strapped for time. I have no idea how my mind works. When I have no time it works overtime and when I have time it becomes uninspired. Terrible world, really.

Going forth, this chapter is indeed longer. I hope it'll allow you to start seeing how the story will progress and hold you over until the next update if you end up enjoying.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**Chapter Two:**

Cobb wasn't surprised to find Arthur waiting for him when he got to Saito's estate. The point man looked well rested and ready to tackle whatever would be thrown their way.

"Arthur," Cobb smiled.

The younger man looked over and smiled back. The two gave a friendly hug before looking at each other questioningly, both wanting to ask the same question. They both wanted to know what the other had been up to for the past few months.

"How are you doing?" Arthur asked first.

"Better than I've been in years," the extractor answered honestly.

The two smiled at each other, taking the time to enjoy the moments they had together before the others came. The bond they had was special. They've worked together so often they were like two cogs working in synchronicity when they were around each other. They fed off of each other, helped one another and looked out for one another. If it weren't for the long stretches of silence between jobs, they'd be like family. The events following Mal's death and leading to inception proved just how close they were to one another.

"The kids?" the point man asked with a questioning look.

"They're actually staying with Miles. I decided that it would be a better idea then bringing them here with us while we're working," the extractor explained, running a hand through his hair, "Saito said he would set up satellite communications with them so I'll still be able to see them when we talk."

The younger man was about to reply when the unmistakable, loud, coarse voice of none other than their very own forger greeted them, "Hello my dear and wondrous friends!"

Cobb immediately noticed the look that passed across Arthur's face. It was quick, but he saw the irritation.

"Here we go," the point man muttered.

Eames approached the two men. He gave Cobb a good firm pat on the back before approaching the point man. The two regarded each other for a moment before the forger put his hands up, "Don't look so displease to see me, Arthur."

Arthur rolled his eyes, but stayed silent, choosing to ignore Eames rather than deal with him.

"Still got that stick up your ass?" the forger asked, grinning mischievously.

"You're as abrasive and off putting as ever," the point man shot back before walking to the far corner of the room, trying to busy himself by inspecting a painting.

"Behave yourself," Cobb said to Eames with an amused smile, "You can't be getting people riled up before we even get the details on this job."

"Alright, but that completely spoils the fun."

The arrival of Ariadne, caused them all to look toward the door. To say that she looked delighted to see them all would have been an understatement. Her face was glowing with anticipation. Cobb could tell she had missed this, the thrill of a job and the ability to work independently on her own designs. They all greeted one another, trying to catch up, but before they could start a real conversation Yusuf walked into the room as well, wheeling in a small case with him. The others hadn't known that the chemist would be there. In fact, Saito never quite explained how he thought they were going to pull this job off.

"Yusuf?" Eames asked, approaching the other man, "How come you didn't tell me you'd be here? We could have caught the flight together."

"It was rather last minute," the chemist said, scratching the back of his head, "I had to head out quickly after I got the call. Mr. Saito is very persuasive."

Arthur couldn't help but overhear and wonder how much was offered to get Yusuf to work with them again. The Fischer job couldn't have left a very good impression on the chemist.

A sharp dressed butler soon entered the room, interrupting their short reunion, "Please follow me, lady and gentlemen."

…~~~~…~~~~…

"My friends, I am sorry to have called you all here on such short notice," Saito said, not sounding as apologetic as he could have. "You see a very close friend of mine needs help and you are the only people I can trust with this matter after what you did for me last time."

He looked around the room at the fully assembled team. They all sat in comfortable chairs at a round table. He knew that a dozen scenarios must have been running through their minds now that they were all there, together. He could almost feel the tension coming off of them.

"What exactly are we dealing with?" Arthur asked, leaning forward in his chair, attentive as always. He already had his notebook open and ready, pen in hand.

"A coma patient," Saito answered, eyes going from one person to another, watching their reactions.

The point man sat back in his seat, "You do realize how incredibly unstable the dream would be, don't you?"

"He wants us to give it a shot," Cobb spoke up, seeing the doubt that was on everyone, except Ariadne's face. He knew the young architect would have to learn why they were all reacting the way they were. "There are no consequences to this job if we don't pull it off. The mark's twin sister only wants information regarding a crime that happened in the past. She believes that her sister witnessed it."

"Even I know that this could turn out to be a fool's errand," Eames said with a low whistle. But the next moment, he was smirking, "Though, I do like a challenge."

"What's so crazy about this?" Ariadne asked, looking around the table.

"You can't predict what happens in a coma dream," Cobb explained, thinking about all he could remember from the past teams he had worked with. There had only been a couple of instances when someone brought up the subject and none of them spoke fondly of it, "Saito says his friend's sister has been in a coma for two years. In our minds, that's an extremely long time. She would have had enough time to create her own world, get to know every single corner of her own mind. But because she's unaware of dreaming, the stability of the entire dream could come crashing down if we mess with the wrong thing at the wrong time. Her dream is her reality."

"Not to mention the fact that coma patients can stop dreaming at any moment," Arthur added. If he still felt uncertain, it no longer showed on his features. "They have moments, seconds of time, where they're awake enough to take in their surroundings. You hear stories about coma patients who have woken up knowing the voices or faces of the people who have taken care of them. We don't know how often these intervals are and when the dreamer wakes, even for that short period, the dream collapses."

Ariadne bit her lip, "This sounds a lot harder than I imagined it to be. How am I supposed to create if the person knows their own mind well enough to detect whether something is out of place?"

"We need to cause her to really dream," Cobb said as he pointed to the chemist, "I believe this is why Yusuf has been brought in. He will need to create a compound that will stabilize the coma dream and one that will allow us to take her a level deeper to start a true dreaming process for her."

"There's already been one that's very much like what you want. It's not specifically tailored for what we need, but if I can break down the formulation and add in the components that we need, it should work. Unfortunately we will have no idea how a compound like that will react when we're in a dream," Yusuf paused and gave Cobb a hard look, "We'll also have to test it on one of our own to get a better understanding of what we're dealing with."

"I don't believe we have a coma patient among us," Eames stated, looking around the table.

"Thank you so much for enlightening us," Arthur shot the forger a look of obvious annoyance.

Yusuf chose to ignore the two and kept speaking, "To test it out, we would have to induce a coma. One of us will have to go under without being hooked up. Once they're out we will devise a plan and go in after them after a certain amount of time to see what happens. We'll have to pull them a layer deeper to see how the dream reacts."

"But induced comas aren't the same as real comas," Ariadne said, "How can we know if it'll even be the same once we're in the mark's mind?"

"My main concern is how the compound will interact with the drugs we use to induce the coma during our test runs. There's an alarmingly large amount of unsavory scenarios."

"If we see that it's a danger to keep going, we'll pull out," Cobb said, looking from one person to the other, "If the risks become more than we can deal with, we pull the plug and call it a day. We'll get paid for our time and leave knowing that we made an effort."

"So, is it a deal?" Saito asked, getting up for his chair to regard the team.

They all looked at one another and without saying a single word, agreed.

"So, who's going to be our practice coma patient?" Ariadne asked once they were out of the meeting room.

"Why not our very own architect?" Eames said with a smile as he got up and placed his hands on the architect's shoulders, "That would make for an interesting dream."

"No, if I have to learn to build in a dream like that I can't be the dreamer," the young woman said, defensively, shrugging the forger off.

"Scared of the unknown, are you?" the forger's smile looked positively wicked.

Before Ariadne could come up with a retort, Arthur cut in with an exasperated sigh, "We'll draw straws. End of discussion."

Eames simply put his hands up in a defensive manner, smiling in that cocksure way that annoyed the point man to no end.

…~~~~…~~~~…

As good of an idea as drawing straws was and as much as Eames loved a gamble, he didn't know how he would react if he were the one to draw the short straw. He sure didn't like the idea of being plunged into a coma, knowing that the chemicals could react badly with one another if the dosage wasn't just so. He dreaded the moment they would draw straws, but as much as he didn't want to, Arthur was already waiting for them the next morning with a handful of long, thin sticks he could only assume the point man meticulously snipped to proper lengths.

Eames looked at his team members, noting the hesitation in Ariadne's features as she reached out cautiously. Cobb was a bit more composed, but the forger could tell he didn't want to draw the short straw either from the way his hand shook. No one did, but they all took their turn.

"Moment of truth?" Eames asked, looking at everyone and holding out his stick in the palm of his hand. It looked a bit too short for his liking.

The others held theirs in their palms as well and Eames let out a sigh of relief when he realized he hadn't drawn the shortest. Instead, their point man had gotten the short straw. Eames tried to read him, Arthur's expression gave nothing away, refusing to react.

"So when do we start?" the point man asked, looking to their leader, "I assume we'll want to start testing as soon as possible to allow us to prepare for this job."

"We still need you here. You're the only one I fully trust to go over all the details of this job," Cobb said, sounding hesitant. "We can't let you go under until you at least give us something to work with."

Arthur simply walked to a table in the back of the room. From it he picked up a folder and handed it to the extractor, "Saito gave me a few files to look over last night. There are a few preliminary notes and I'll try to make more before Yusuf puts me out, but this should be enough to work with for now."

"Did you work all night?" Ariadne asked, incredulous.

"I believe in being well prepared," the point man answered.

The sound of footsteps made them all turn. Saito walked in with a metal briefcase and handed it to Yusuf with care.

"My assistant was able to pick up what you needed," the Japanese man said, shoving his hands into his pants pockets, "I hope you know what you're doing."

"We'll be fine," Yusuf said, confidently, "I assure you."

"When do we start?" the point man asked.

"Give me a few hours and we can start by noon," the chemist replied, "I want to have a few test runs with the compound itself before we put you under. I'm sure the formulation needs to be fiddled with. In the meantime, start thinking about what we're going to do about this situation."

No one protested and Eames watched as Yusuf followed Saito out of the room, to what he could only assume was going to be a lab. He looked at the faces of his remaining companions and felt an inkling of annoyance when he realized he still couldn't read the look on Arthur's face. The point man looked nearly emotionless and he propelled himself into motion, into work, so fast that no one else could react in any way but professionally.

Eames watched, trying to listen to what Cobb was telling him, but he couldn't pay attention. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him something about this job wasn't going to pan out the way they will envision it to. He hoped that feeling was wrong.

…~~~~…~~~~…

The room was flooded with light and the sound of music in the air. Arthur sat at a grand piano, looking down at the keys, his fingers just barely touching the beautiful ivory. He looked around the room and took a breath before getting up and walking around the space. It wasn't the normal space he occupied when he was dreaming, but he liked the mood it set. It was solid and had an energy to it that felt real. He could believe that a place like this was real.

As he walked about the room, he noticed something. Through the music, he could hear something else, very faintly, in the background. He furrowed his brows and listened more intently, the sound was getting closer. It sounded like water, a river of motion, was moving toward him.

He went to the door of the room and placed his ear against the smooth, decorated surface. He could hear it clear as day. Something in his dream was changing. His hands on the door, he could feel the torrent of water pushing against the barrier. Then water started pushing its way through the door, seeping in through the cracks, and he stepped back, a feeling of panic rising up in him. He tried to stem the flow, keep it from invading the room, but found that nothing he did worked. He couldn't control the flow and put things back into their rightful place. The dream wasn't in his control.

The door creaked under the pressure of the water building up behind it and he could see the wood straining to contain the flow. Arthur backpedaled, seeing the wood crack and splinter, and the door flew open allowing a wall of water to rush in at him. The water was cold and icy, momentarily knocking him senseless as it threw him off his feet.

He got up, stumbling as water lapped at him, threatening to pull him under. He pounded on the glass windows in the room, trying to break them, but they wouldn't give. No matter how much he willed himself to make an escape route, nothing showed itself. Panic began to take over when he felt the water level rising. Soon his hand could touch the ceiling and water rushed into his mouth and nose. He could hear himself yelling in alarm as cold and darkness overtook him.

…~~~~…~~~~…

Arthur woke before he hit the floor. He could hear Eames laughing at him from somewhere in the room, but he couldn't focus himself enough to tell the man to shut up. The panic was still there in his system, disrupting all his senses. His limbs felt weak and unresponsive, but he forced himself up onto his feet. The entire room tilted and spun making his stomach turn. He barely had time to make it to the bathroom before the contents of his stomach came rushing up.

"Arthur?" there was a knock on the door.

_When did I close the door?_ He asked himself as he kept spitting, trying to get the taste of bile out of his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he responded in an even voice, "I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute."

He listened as footsteps disappeared from the door. Shakily, he stood at the sink and splashed cold water on his face. He gave himself a moment to straighten up before he opened the bathroom door and walked out. His fingers traced over the die in his pocket as he went to join his teammates.

"Are you okay?" Ariadne asked, looking worried.

"I'm fine," the point man responded, trying his best to smile reassuringly.

"So, it didn't work out very well?" Yusuf questioned, giving Arthur a curious look.

"No. It was strange, almost like the compound had taken away all my abilities to control the dream. I couldn't change things in the dream the way I normally could."

"Or maybe you really have no imagination," Eames interjected.

Arthur shot the forger a look that could have killed, but continued, "The kick was terrible. It was disorienting. I felt extremely sluggish and unaware of what was happening around me once I woke. Getting up was also a very bad idea. The formulation needs to be tweaked. This compound is far too unstable."

"I'll get on that," the chemist said, scribbling down notes. He scratched his head and furrowed his brows, "I'll have to change a few things and lessen one of the chemicals. The nausea and vertigo is probably the cause of one of the stabilizers. I'll substitute it with a different one and we'll see how that works out in a few hours."

As Yusuf walked from the room, pondering over his formula, Cobb approached Arthur with a worried look upon his features. The point man put one hand up as he turned away from the extractor to get back to his papers, signaling that he didn't want to talk about whatever it was that they were going to talk about. Cobb simply followed the other man, placing a hand on his shoulder. Arthur shrugged off his advances, giving him an irritated look.

"I know you don't like talking about things like this, but I need you to communicate with me," the extractor said, keeping his voice low as to not let the others overhear, "This is a difficult job and there are a lot of risks, mentally. You're going to be put under in a couple of days and right now we have you testing compounds that aren't looking too stable. If you don't want to keep doing the testing, I can ask someone else. I can step in for you."

"It's okay," Arthur said calmly, unfazed, "I'm perfectly fine with testing the different formulations before I go under. I'd rather do that and compare it to how they feel in different situations. It would help in the long run."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." The way the younger man answered left no room for argument.

"Okay," Cobb nodded before letting Arthur go back to what he was doing. _Okay. _He walked away, trying to not let his concern show.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**Note: **Too much? Too heavy with my words? I'm not certain. I was happy about this chapter though. I really enjoyed writing it and the next chapter is already trying to manifest itself.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please, feedback is always welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: **Hello everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to update, but my schedule has really just destroyed me for a while. I was also dealing with a period of being terribly uninspired. But I'm back with a new chapter, so I hope you will all enjoy. I really do apologize for making all of you wait so long.

Also, concerns about slash. I'm not going to make this slash, nor is there going to be much romance. There might be if you squint (I'm a fan of hinting), but aside from that things shouldn't veer in that direction.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**Chapter Three:**

Cobb sat with Arthur in a small garden behind Saito's estate under the shade of beautiful wooden gazebo. The table they sat at was made of a light wood, varnished beautifully to a well-designed finish. On the surface was an elegant tea set with four cups set out. A woman, dressed in a yukata stood by, waiting to serve as the two men waited.

The extractor gave his younger partner a sideways glance, wondering how the point man was holding up after yesterday's effort. They had been able to get in a second compound tested and it wasn't much better than the first, though it didn't cause Arthur to vomit. The one side effect that became apparent right away was the headache the point man developed, one that incapacitated him for over two hours.

"I know you're looking at me," Arthur said, turning to look at the extractor with an irate expression.

Cobb only sighed before turning his gaze to the far end of the garden, where two figures were approaching. Saito's tall frame was immediately visible. Next to the business man, matching his stride was a short, elegantly dressed Japanese woman. She was wearing a yukata, much like the woman standing in the gazebo, in a large, bold, floral pattern. Though the woman's attire was traditional, her hair was cropped short, held away from her face by bobby pins.

The two men rose as their host approached, both their eyes watching as the two walked into the gazebo.

"Gentlemen, I would like you to meet my friend, Kumiko-san," Saito said as the woman bowed her head to them.

Cobb and Arthur followed suit, bowing their heads before taking their seats once more. Saito pulled out one of the chairs for the woman to sit in. The extractor was immediately drawn to the close attention Saito was giving the woman, his hand carefully placed on her shoulder for just a fleeting moment before he took a seat as well. The woman's face was radiant, but Cobb could tell that under the surface there was something more.

The servant standing by moved forward and began serving them tea, carefully pouring the hot liquid into each cup. Then she gently placed a cup before each of them before slowly backing away and retreating to give them privacy.

"Thank you for taking the time to meet with me," Kumiko said with a soft smile, her English was very spot on with only a subtle hint of an accent, "Saito-sama has spoken very highly of the skills you two have in your repertoire."

"We're very thankful Mr. Saito speaks so highly of us," Cobb replied in kind, his eyes ever watchful of the woman sitting before him. This was their client, who, from the pictures he had seen, looked to be the splitting image of her twin.

"It seems that you are the only ones who can help me with my situation," the Japanese woman said, taking hold of her cup and sipping from it, "I understand you've been told of the circumstances."

"We'd like you to tell us about the problem," Arthur said, his voice cool and calm, his eyes fixed on the woman, obviously trying to read her, "It's the only way we will know for sure what we're dealing with."

Kumiko gave a soft laugh as she set her cup down and nodded, "Of course. You both know that my sister, Nariko, has been in a coma for the past two years. It was very sudden and caused by trauma. You see, gentlemen, I had found her lying in a pool of her own blood the day she fell into the coma."

Cobb could feel the point man's eyes on him with that new found information.

"I've spent the last two years trying to reconstruct what happened," the Japanese woman continued, her eyes gazing off into the distance as she recalled what had taken place, "My sister was sexually assaulted. Her attacker slammed her head first against the wall, leaving behind a bloodstain, then against the floor repeatedly where the blood pooled."

There was a long moment of silence and the extractor could see the tension all the way down Kumiko's neck and shoulders. Her jaw tightened as she breathed steadily through her nose to keep calm.

"There was no forced entry," Kumiko stated, fixing her gaze, intense and searing at the extractor, "Someone she knew did this to her and I have my suspicions as to who. I also believe the assault had been happening for years before then."

"You want us to solve a crime," Cobb said, leaning forward in his seat.

"No," the woman objected, her voice hardening, "I want you to find the perpetrator so that I may exact vengeance."

"Kumiko," Saito's voice was a soft, assuring warning.

"I'm sorry," Kumiko said with a sigh as she let her gaze fall to her hands.

Cobb contemplated for a long moment, looking back and forth between Saito and Kumiko, wondering if there was more than what they were telling him. The expression on the woman's face was one of anger, but there was also a deep sadness and regret. It was exceedingly apparent from the way she was acting, her words tinged with insecurity.

Arthur nudged him before leaning close and whispering in his ear, "What do you think?"

"She's hiding something," the extractor replied as he leaned back in his seat. He caught the Japanese businessman's eyes and gave him a questioning look.

Saito held up a hand, signaling for them to wait just a moment longer. Cobb sat back in his seat, his eyes studying the lines of the woman's face, wondering what it was that she was so reluctant to speak of. He saw the look that passed between the two, the Japanese business man and his friend, one that expressed a thousand words.

"You knew it was happening," the extractor said, causing all eyes at the table to be directed at him.

"Cobb?" Arthur asked, his voice showing his uncertainty.

"You knew," Cobb said, biting the inside of his mouth, trying to find the right words. Anything he said was going to sound accusing and he didn't want to drive their client away. "I know how my words are going to sound, but, unfortunately, I have to put them out there. Kumiko, you knew that your sister was being abused far before the incident took place. It was probably going on for years."

Kumiko's lips became a thin line as she listened to those words. Her face noticeably flushed as she thought over what had just been said.

"Is there any truth to that?" the point man asked, his eyes shifting from Cobb to the Japanese woman.

"Yes," Kumiko sighed, a hand raised to her face. The obvious strain of confirmation showed on her features and caused Cobb to feel guilty about his forward accusation. However, she didn't look at him with any resentment for bringing that fact to light. Instead she shifted forward in her seat and placed her hands on the table, "Gentlemen, I know that what I'm asking could be dangerous for your state of mind. Saito-sama has told me that this endeavor could require a lot of time and patience. I only hope that you will give it a chance. I just want to know who has been hurting my sister for all those years and why they decided to try and end her life."

"Why seek retribution after so long?" Arthur asked, his voice didn't give away what he thought of what had been revealed, but Cobb could hear a hint of accusation in his tone.

"Because when I found her, I knew without a doubt that I didn't want to lose her. I love my sister very much, but I was too much of a coward to stand up for her," the Japanese woman said, her gaze falling to her lap, unable to meet the eyes of those around her, "It may be too late to save her, but it's not too late to seek redemption. At least, I hope not."

Cobb looked to Arthur them, wondering what the younger man was thinking. The point made was deep in thought for a long moment before his eyes meet with the extractor's. Something passed through them when they looked at one another and Arthur nodded.

"We'll do what we can," Cobb finally spoke, causing the Japanese woman to look up, "But I warn you, we will pull out of this operation if we find it too dangerous. Navigating your sister's mind will be exceptionally hard and we're not sure how we'll be approaching it. I only hope you'll be able to give us time and not hold it against us if we fail."

Kumiko smiled weakly before she nodded, "Of course."

…~~~~…~~~~…

"What did you make of that?" Arthur asked as he and Cobb made their way back toward the mansion, leaving their host and client behind.

"I don't know," the extractor answered honestly. He raked a hand through his hair, "We're going to have to take a different approach to this though."

"What do you mean?" the point man inquired.

"We're going to have to have her sister brought here and once that's done, one of us will have to go into her subconscious and see what's happening down there," the older man answered.

Arthur stopped in his tracks, "You're suggesting we go in there unprepared?"

"Not we," Cobb answered, looking back at his partner, "I will be going in by myself."

"You have no idea what you're going to encounter down there."

"That's why I have to go in."

"Cobb."

"You're not arguing with me on this," the extractor said, his words hard and warning.

Arthur shook his head, holding back the words that were right on the tip of his tongue, trying to escape. Instead of arguing, he heaved an exasperated sigh and held one hand up in defeat, "Fine. I can't stop you, but you need to pull out the moment something starts going wrong."

"If it goes wrong," the older man said. He wanted to be upset with the way the point man was acting, but he knew that Arthur was just looking out for him. He knew that his partner was good at pointing out the worst case scenarios and trying to work through them. It was what made the younger man so good at being point, but it also gave him a strong pessimistic air.

Neither said at word as they made their way back into Saito's home, but Cobb's mind was already abuzz with the possible out comes of what he was going to do. He had never been inside a coma patient's mind before and with the stories he'd heard, he wasn't sure if he was ready for it. It was either going to be extraordinarily strange or just like any other dream, only far more structured, with a little less room to use one's imagination.

_I hope I know what I'm getting myself into, _the extractor thought, looking back at his partner who was wearing a concerned expression.

"Cobb, there's too much room for error on this job," Arthur finally said.

"I know, but we're just going to have to scale that wall when we come to it," the extractor replied, his tone final.

…~~~~…~~~~…

"Yusuf?" Ariadne called as she stood at the door of the laboratory that one of Saito's servants had pointed her to. She caught sight of the chemist, sitting at a table covered in beakers, vials, and measuring devices. Thinking better of stepping in uninvited, she waited for him to respond.

Yusuf looked up with a smile, adjusting his glasses as he gestured for the architect to join him.

"Are you sure it's okay?" the younger woman asked even as she stepped closer and gently pulled up a stool to sit by the chemist.

"Of course," he answered, flipping through his notebook, carefully scrutinizing his own writing, "Just be careful and don't touch any of the chemicals."

Ariadne smiled and kept her hands in her lap, watching as the chemist worked, his movements incredibly precise as he measured out just the smallest amounts of liquid from the vials before him. She was fascinated by the way he was working, carefully handing the mixtures as if they were extremely precious to him.

"Can I ask you a question?" the architect asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I wouldn't mind," Yusuf answered, giving the girl a sideways glance.

"Why do you work with the people you do?" Ariadne questioned, knowing that her words were filled with judgment on what the man did for a living, "You're so smart and good at what you do. You can have a legitimate job doing the same thing you do now, so why is it that you work with the people that you do?"

The chemist put the measuring device in his hand down and took off his glasses. His gaze fell on the young girl before him and he smiled, getting out of his chair, "Why don't we go for a walk? I'd like to stretch my legs."

The architect nodded and followed, keeping stride with the older man as they walked through the corridors of Saito's estate, passing beautiful paintings and windows looking over spans of gardens and wooded territory. She kept gazing at Yusuf's features, seeing just how calm and at ease he was, even in a completely new surrounding. They ended their walk in a beautiful, spacious sunroom, filled with light and warmth. Ariadne closed her eyes for just a moment, enjoying the way the sun kissed her skin.

"Do you know what it is that I do back home?" Yusuf asked the architect.

"Cobb mentioned a den for those who want to dream," the younger woman answered.

"Yes," the chemist said, "It might not sound legitimate, but think about it Ariadne. Those people that come to me, to my complex, they come because they can no longer dream on their own. They've immersed themselves so much in the dream world that their minds can no longer naturally take them to the places they wish to imagine. Now, imagine that you can never dream of the things that you hold most dear. Imagine that all the wonderful things you dream of now, in your natural dreams, disappear. Wouldn't you want them back?"

She didn't have to think of the answer, "Yes, I would."

"I do what I do because every day more and more people are being deprived of their dreams. The PASIV, no matter how you look at it, is a dangerous tool in the long run and I want to be there to provide a way for the dreamers to dream. To go back to the reality they long for, even if it's something that isn't tangible."

"Can they never dream naturally again once the process stops?"

"No one's sure and no one has stayed off the PASIV long enough after the natural dreams stop to document what happens. Maybe one day someone will study it, but for now, I do my part, even if it isn't legal."

"You almost make it sound noble."

"There's nothing noble about it. I won't lie to you and say that the money doesn't matter, because it does. It's a business, but I know that dreams are very important, especially to those that have lost them."

"I guess I can see your point. I mean, I work for a bunch of criminals."

Yusuf let out a laugh at that, smiling at Ariadne.

…~~~~…~~~~…

Eames wasn't sure of what Cobb was thinking. He had never been quite sure, but he thought that this might have been a little much. He kept his distance as he watched a small team of nurses as well as a doctor wheel their mark into a room on the first floor of the estate, setting up the necessary equipment. They talk in hushed voices and peer out of the room every so often, pulling in one of the servants or casting their gaze at the forger, hoping he would talk to them. Their voices were always urgent, always rushed, as if everything were of the utmost importance. They sounded like they were dealing with a patient on their death bed rather than one in a coma.

"Enjoying the show?" Arthur's voice pulled Eames from his thoughts.

"I'd hardly call this a show," the forger said with a smirk, "I take it you're not thrilled about this."

"No, but I can understand why he would want it to be set up this way," the point man replied, his voice showing a hint of annoyance, "Cobb's going to go in by himself and see what's in there. I know he's doing it to test the waters, but I don't know how much that's going to help us."

"Worth a shot, isn't it? Besides, it's just like any other dream. The compounds we'll be using will keep her from experiencing those waking increments."

"I'm sure whatever he finds down there will be useful. I just hope her subconscious doesn't zero in on him the moment he gets down there. He's a foreign invader and her mind is going to know it after spending so long in that state."

"Have a little faith, will you?" Eames said, giving the younger man a look of aggravation, "You're always so negative about these things that sometimes I'm not sure how you can even function."

"You still don't get it, do you?" Arthur asked with a disbelieving laugh. The point man received a strange look that he brushed off, "I do have faith, just in a different way."

Then the younger man was walking away, moving with purpose as Eames looked after him, wondering what those words really meant. The forger shook his head and focused his attention back to the doctors and nurses. A woman in a traditional kimono had joined them, talking to them in the same hushed tone.

"Some faith," Eames muttered, watching as the Japanese woman bowed and departed, glancing at him quickly and sharply before turning away.

…~~~~…~~~~…

"Are you sure you want to do this alone?" Arthur asked as Cobb rolled up his sleeves.

"Yes," the extractor replied, "Just five minutes. I'll give you a report when I get back."

The point man nodded, "We've administered a mild sedative to Nariko. It should allow for the dream to be stable while you're inside."

Cobb took a moment to study the younger man. He knew that look on Arthur's face, the one of concern, the one that revealed he was thinking of all the worst case scenarios. It was the look that he had gotten accustomed to over all the years of them working together. It had been a long time since he had that look directed at him.

"Arthur," the extractor placed a hand on the younger man's arm, causing him to look up, "Don't worry about me."

"A part of me is always going to worry," the point man said before he made his way to the bed they had set up next to their mark. On the bedside table was the PASIV, "Whenever you're ready."

Cobb nodded before he got onto the bed and made himself comfortable. He held out his wrist and allowed his eyes to fall upon Arthur's face, watching how his young partner concentrated as he carefully inserted the needle. The extractor breathed when he felt the pinprick.

"See you in five," the extractor said with a nod.

…~~~~…~~~~…

The dream felt stable, incredibly so. He was in a small neighborhood, filled with projections who paid him little mind as he walked down their streets. All the houses were beautiful, built to be admired. Their lawns were spotless and gardens in full bloom. The sun shone down and heat kissed his skin. It was practically perfect, save for the fact that he knew the neighborhood didn't exist in reality.

As he walked down the street, he saw cars passing, all of them going at slow speeds down a main road which lead further into the world the mark had created. He could see the outlines of a city on the horizon, but tried to pay it no mind. He approached a beautiful house, standing by itself at the end of the road. In the garden, he saw someone tending to the flowers. As he got closer, he realized it was Nariko, the woman he had been looking for.

Nariko was wiping the sweat from her brow when she spotted him. Instead of reacting hostile, she smiled at him and beckoned him forward. A voice in his head told him not to, already knowing that what Arthur would say about approaching the mark so soon, but he couldn't help himself. If she was willing, he was going to take the chance.

"Hey stranger," she said, her voice without even a hint of an accent, "Haven't seen you around before."

"I'm just taking a look around the neighborhood," the extractor said, "I'm looking for a house."

"Well, you've come to the right place," Nariko said, taking off her gardening gloves. She brushed the dirt from her clothes and held out her hand, "My name's Nariko and this is my neighborhood."

Cobb extended his hand, "Nice to meet you. I'm Dominic."

"So, a house?"

"Yes."

"Well, I've got just the place to show you," the woman smiled as she walked through her gate and laid a gentle hand on his arm, "It's a couple of houses down and I have a feeling you'll really like it."

The two walked back down the street and approached a light blue house the extractor had passed earlier. It was very modern with open windows. Beyond the glass windows, he could see that the house was already furnished and already he could tell it was beautiful.

"Would you like to take a look?" the Japanese woman asked, gently nudging him toward the doorway.

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to look inside that house and see what it would hold. He wanted to stay longer and get to know this woman better, gain her trust, but already he heard the music. The kick was coming and he was running out of time.

"Not today, but I would love to see it," the extractor said, pulling himself free, "It was a pleasure."

"Pleasure was all mine," Nariko smiled.

He walked as fast as he could down the street, trying to get out of her line of sight. All the while he felt her eyes on him and even when he could no longer see her, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

…~~~~…~~~~…

"How was it?" Ariadne asked when he woke.

Cobb thought for a moment as he pulled the needle from his wrist and pushed himself into a sitting position on the bed, "It was strange. Her dream as incredibly solid and the strangest part was she still looks like herself. Nothing about her has changed."

"She hasn't aged in the dreamscape?" Arthur asked.

"She hasn't and it would have been years by now," Cobb answered, scratching the back of his head, "Something isn't right down there."

"You can say that again," the point man said as he stepped forward to put away the PASIV.

"What do you mean?" Ariadne asked, looking at the two men, "What's wrong?"

"She should have aged," Arthur answered, looping a length of tubing in his hands, "She's been down in her own dream for years now and yet nothing has changed. Her dream should have become her reality."

"And she was picture perfect in there," Cobb chimed in, pushing himself off the bed, "It's not a good sign."

"Why?" the architect asked, "Does that mean something?"

"It means a part of her knows she's dreaming. She has some sort of control over the environment," the extractor explained, "Which isn't good for us if we want to find information. We're going to have to get creative if we're going to trick her into giving us any sort of information. She's going to know we're outsiders."

"This really isn't helping to set me at ease about this job," Ariadne said, concern now lacing her features.

"It's okay. We'll figure it out," Arthur said, closing the case of the PASIV. He turned to Cobb, "We better get working on this and come up with a good scheme."

"Eames might have something we can use," the extractor said.

"Might?" the point man asked.

Cobb put his hand up to stop the younger man from saying more, "I know. We'll work on it."

"Alright then," Arthur said before heading toward the door, "I'm going to check on Yusuf's progress."

Ariadne watched after the point man's retreating back. When Arthur was out of sight and well out of range, she turned to Cobb, "What was that about?"

The older man sighed, pulling his sleeves down, "He told me before that this job has a lot of room for error. I just proved him right and that margin for error just grew about a hundred times bigger with this new information."

"So, what do we do now?" the architect asked.

"We plan."

…~~~~…~~~~…

Eames looked up when Arthur walked into Yusuf's lab. He had been looking through the chemist's notes, not that they made sense, but he had been curious. He closed the book like a thief caught red handed. The point man rolled his eyes at that.

"What are you doing in this neck of the woods?" the forger asked, taking a seat on one of the lab stools.

"I'm looking for Yusuf. Is he around?" the point man asked.

"He'll be back in a moment, had to take a short bathroom break," Eames answered with a grin.

Arthur pulled a face, but stayed silent. The point man walked to the lab table, fingertips gracing the surface of the beakers, just touching, curious fingers meeting glass. Eames watched the younger man, watched that determined face, wondering what it was that made Arthur tick.

The forger had known Arthur for years and it wasn't until the Fischer job that the younger man started opening up. They had never been on bad terms. Eames felt that it was more a misunderstanding. He had thought Arthur to be too stuck-up and pessimistic, always looking for faults and sounding so condescending when he found even those small, hairline mistakes in their plans. Then the inception job came into play and Eames had to reevaluate a few things. He began to realize that Arthur, all tight lines and calculating glances was actually human and doing his job at the best of his ability.

_And I will lead them on a merry chase._ He had never expected that sort of playfulness to come out of the point man's mouth.

"Did Cobb go under yet?" the forger asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, he's going to have to see you," Arthur answered, testing the stability of the table before leaning against it, "Our plans need to be reevaluated."

"Found something he didn't like down there?"

"Something none of us will like."

Eames wanted to ask what the extractor had encountered, but Yusuf made his entrance at that moment.

"Right then," the forger said, getting up, "I'll go talk to Cobb and leave the two of you to it."

As he walked out of the lab, he could still feel Arthur's eyes on him, though when he looked back, the point man and chemist were busy talking. He couldn't help but feel that Arthur's words were a premonition, a warning of what was to come.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**Note: **And end of the third chapter. This was longer than the second chapter for sure. I was going to stop it sooner, but I felt as if I had to keep on writing.

As always reviews and constructive criticism is always appreciated.


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